Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Osun State Police Command has dismissed widespread reports of an assassination attempt on the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun Larooye II, following an investigation that found no evidence to support claims that a 26-year-old man arrested after scaling the monarch’s palace fence intended to harm the traditional ruler or anyone else.
The clarification, contained in a statement issued on Friday, June 19, 2026, by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, came a week after Governor Ademola Adeleke alleged that the monarch was attacked by political thugs in his palace. According to the police, the incident occurred on June 3, 2026, at about 8:45 a.m., when a man later identified as Semilola Odunayo Monday, also known as “Ankara”, scaled the fence of the Ataoja’s palace and forcibly gained entry into the premises.
“He was immediately challenged by some residents/domestic staff, but he could not give reasonable excuse. Instead, he took to his heels,” the police statement read. The suspect sustained injuries while being pursued and was rushed to the UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital in Osogbo for medical attention.
Following his recovery, investigators interrogated the suspect. He admitted entering the palace through the fence but denied any intention to assassinate or harm the monarch or anyone else. He attributed his conduct to excessive intake of substance. An investigation panel led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department, Suleiman Bayonle, confirmed that the suspect was not carrying a firearm or any offensive weapon at the time of his arrest.
The police said the suspect was subsequently arraigned before Magistrate Court II in Osogbo on June 8, 2026, on a charge of attempted felony and remanded in a correctional facility. A separate report by The Sun indicated that the suspect pleaded guilty and told the court he went to the palace seeking help from the monarch, saying, “I wanted to go and meet Kabiesi for help. Please, forgive me”. The court adjourned the case to June 29 for sentencing.
The police statement followed allegations by Governor Adeleke that the monarch was shot at by thugs allegedly sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC). The governor, who is seeking re-election on the Accord Party platform, had claimed that the Ataoja was targeted for publicly endorsing his second-term bid. The incident came amid heightened political tension between supporters of the governor and the APC ahead of the governorship election in the state.
On June 4, Asimiyu Ajibola, chairman of the Accord Party in Osun, was shot by gunmen in Osogbo in what was described as an assassination attempt. The Ataoja himself had earlier alleged that armed hoodlums shot at his palace during the recent wave of violence that rocked Osogbo and Ede, claiming that the attackers were politically motivated. He noted that the attack on the palace, a revered symbol of the cultural heritage of the people of Osogbo, represented a dangerous escalation of political hostilities.
However, the police investigation did not establish any political connection to the palace incident, insisting that available evidence pointed to a lone individual acting under the influence of substances. The command appealed to members of the public and palace officials with additional information about the incident to come forward, noting that investigations remain open.
“The Osun State Police Command remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding lives and property and will not relent in its efforts to ensure that all criminal activities are brought to the lowest ebb,” the statement added.
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